Barbados is set to send a 17-strong competitive darts squad to two major regional tournaments hosted in the Bahamas, running from July 24 to August 2. The dual events—the Caribbean Darts Championships and the Championship Darts Latin America and Caribbean—will give the island nation’s emerging darts talent a high-profile platform to test their skills against top competitors from across the region.
As team manager Dave Gittens shared in a press statement, darts has long flown under the radar as one of Barbados’ most underrated competitive sports, often described as the island’s best-kept sporting secret. But this tournament run marks a turning point for the local darts community: Gittens and the squad are on a mission to shift public perception of the sport and carve out a bigger space for darts in Barbados’ national sporting landscape.
Confidence runs high among the team’s leadership, with Gittens noting the squad has what it takes to claim championship titles at the events. The entire group has been in rigorous training since March, honing their technique and building cohesion ahead of the cross-border competition. For Gittens, the final step ahead of kickoff is simple: letting each player embrace the pressure of the international stage and deliver the performances they’ve worked months to prepare for.
The full roster of athletes representing Barbados includes Dakiya Walcott, Dave Gittens, Sheldon Jordan, Felicia Walrond, Wendy Barrow, Roger Edwards, Elouise Martin, Kai Greene, Nicolas Murrell, Lydia Gill, Hartley Henry, Mark Griffith, Cyndi Marshall, Clyde Murrell, Anthony Forde, Donnie Inniss, Kisanka Watts, Colin Mora and Joshua Walrond.